Burnt Wood: Designers Like to Play with Fire

Shou-sugi-ban is a traditional Japanese wood-charring method for exterior cladding. To get its characteristic charred effect, wood has to burn for 7 minutes, then it has to be extinguished in cold water, scrubbed with wire brushes to remove the dust and then dried. The burnt wood can either be rubbed with natural oils to coat and preserve the finish or left as is.
Many finishes and textures are currently available, from the traditional highly-burnt fragile-looking to the sleek and contemporary finish.

The most interesting thing about this technique is that wood turns out to be protected from fire, weather, insects and rot for 80 years. Amazing!

Shou-sugi-ban has been a hot trend in recent months. Many designers tested and adjusted this ancient method in contemporary furniture design, so charred wood is now widely available for domestic interiors.